Such movable distribution pipes serve to load shaft furnaces uniformly and controllably. The mobility of the distribution pipe encompasses two vertical datum planes perpendicular to each other. The distribution pipe either may be moved with the aperture through simultaneous, co-ordinated movements in both datum planes, in closed circular paths of differing diameters, or it may only travel over a part of the charging surface circumference. For each batch of the charge a corresponding angle-position is determined in both datum planes. With the aid of a control, drive motions with shifted phases of the two drives occur which cause the distribution pipe to rotate.
The drive for the distribution pipe and the drive for the swingable frame and their mutual correlation are of considerable importance for such an apparatus. All parts in the furnace space, the functions of which require a motion, are exposed to the dust-laden, hot exhaust gas of the relevant furnace processes and need maintenance.
It is known that in order to fulfill these requirements the drive for the distribution pipe may be designed from a ring gear which has been arranged horizontally, and from a pinion meshing with ring gear, whereby the pinion is non-rotatably connected with the swivel pin of the distribution pipe (DE-OS No. 25 05 026, int. Cl. 2 lb 7/20). In this case it is however necessary to move the circular gear and to provide an axial guide for its proper function, which guide, in the case of the known proposal, consists of pivoted rolls. Such a design requires special sealing of the moving parts which consists of a casing enclosing the moving parts. This solution is therefore very expensive.
The object of the present invention is to create a less expensive apparatus yet requiring a minimum of maintenance. For this class of apparatus, this object is achieved, according to the invention, in such a way that in the drive train for the distribution pipe vertical drive discs are arranged within the frame on each of the drive shaft and pivot pin, which discs are connected with each other by means of power-transmission elements provided on their circumferences. This eliminates a special positioning of the drive discs which need only be non-rotatably connected with the drive shaft and the pivot pin. A special casing is also superfluous. Besides, with such vertical drive discs the space between distribution pipe and frame may be utilized, which without the proposal according to the present invention would be lost space. The frame, based on the proposal according to the invention, may, in other words, also be designed smaller.
It will be easier to design the frame structurally such that the drive discs support each other, which according to one embodiment of the invention would be the case if the drive discs each form peripheral areas which extend below the half angle of the angle formed by the drive shaft-axis and the pivot-pin axis.
Easy to survey power and speed conditions result from another advantageous development of the invention which consists in the fact that the angle of the peripheral areas extends under 45.degree. from the axis of the drive shaft or the pivot-pin axis of the pivot-pin pair.
The principle of the invention may be realized according to which gear ratio and rotating velocities in relation to the circumference of the furnace are desired, for instance with elliptical drive discs. A simple embodiment exists when according to a further characteristic of the invention the drive discs are developed in circular form.
It is possible to further reduce the weight of the apparatus by designing the drive discs in segment shape. The segment angle conforms to the required pivot angles of the distribution pipe.
According to additional advantageous characteristics the power-transmission elements consist of cables, chains or a gear-tooth system in the form of bevel gears. Any of these alternately suggested power transmission elements can be employed as they are considered to be equivalents of one another. Other equivalent structures (neither shown nor stated herein) may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. These elements require minimal maintenance. Only minimal maintenance work also results from the fact that the drive discs are arranged vertically so that dust mostly falls off as the drive discs spin.
A power transmission between the drive discs suitable to the conditions within the furnace further results when the gear-tooth system is designed along the lines of a mangle gear.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is designed in such a way that the drive discs have cable grooves, and the discs have angled peripheral areas between the cable grooves, which may be rolled on to each other. Cables, chains and similar means of traction allow for a deflection perpendicular to the traction direction so that it is possible to design a miter gear with these means.
For a reciprocating motion of the drive discs it is further advantageous that the two cables are in parallel grooves carried on the drive discs and the cables extend (in mirror image relative to the horizontal center plane of the two drive discs) across opposite peripheral areas of the respective drive discs. Their ends are each fixed, in opposite directions, to both drive discs and are under tensile stress.